Bite-Sized Pillowtalk
by BananaTrashcan
Summary: Just some Akira Kurusu/Makoto Nijima general fluffs (with latter chapters having a a slice of the rest of the gang too)! I needed a bit of a writing exercise after quite the hiatus and wanted to do something I was passionate about. Here it is!
1. A Change of Pace (1)

**AN: fluff ! Yay !**

 **this entire fanfic is me trying to fill the empty space in my soul that remains after finishing p5. Pm or review or follow or fav or whatevs ! hf reading**

 ***ALSOO IMPORTANT FOR THOSE WHO HAVENT FINISHED MAKOTO'S CONFIDANT/SL***

 **low key spoilers a bit late through her confidant but nothing big on what you do**

 **ANYWAY YEAH THIS AN IS TOO LONG TY FOR CLICKING ON THIS STORY BYE**

* * *

"Agh! Let me go! I have to go to work..."

Akira replied to her objections by nuzzling further down her neck. An inflexible grip held Makoto's interlocked hands in place with his, and Akira had no intention of letting her go now- or ever.

Stopping for a second to catch his breath, Akira lightly pecked on the bridge of his lover's nose to fill the time he'd not spent nibbling alongside the base of Makoto's neck.

Forcing down a smile, Makoto struggled to push Akira away from herself. Partly because of his own grip and partly because she didn't _really_ want him gone either.

But her blush betrayed her.

Drunk on his own glory, Akira continued to nibble down neck of his _inamorata_. Smirking as the heat of her neck brushed along his brow. Sweeping the strap of Makoto's nightwear to the side, he left a trail of kisses along her collarbone.

His _glory_ was lead to an abrupt stop, however, as she head butted his nose during his attempt to take a breath.

The sudden blunt trauma to his head turned the tables on the bedraggled Akira as his grip loosened and Makoto simply shifted his momentum to overturn him. The tables had turned.

Elbow lightly pressed against the apple of his throat, Makoto lowered her head to Akira and pressed her nose against his. After what seemed like forever, they finally pressed lips.

Their little game however, ended as quickly as it'd began. In a moment, she'd pulled away and Akira was left alone by the pile of pillows sprawled along the bed. Smiling, she pushed off the bed and smoothened out the folded creases on her nightclothes.

"Gone so soon?"

Tucking the hair behind her ear, she smiled at the unkempt Akira, who was undoubtedly sad to her go. He'd not adjusted to this change of pace yet. When he'd left Tokyo years prior, they'd kept in touch through video and phone calls that broke up more often than they should've, but in essence, they remained apart.

But to hold her in his hands and have her taken away - day by day - it was enough to break his calm exterior and unearth his loss at the thought of being away from her.

Despite knowing the futility of his attempt to convince her to stay, Akira thought to reach up to her, that maybe today would be different. Maybe she'd come back to bed and sleep in. Maybe he'd even be able to whip up a plate of curry accompanied by a cup o' joe just the way she liked it.

The attempt was stopped in its tracks before it'd even begun. Unfortunately, his wrist met the cold touch of a metal handcuff before he could even raise it up. Scratching his head with his free hand, he held back a frown.

"You know I could pick this lock in a minute, right?"

Makoto smiled.

"I know."

* * *

Finished styling her hair as it draped just above her shoulders, Makoto reached over to sling her hand bag over her arm and entered the bedroom to check on her "prisoner".

She opened the door to find Akira seated by the bedside, calmly smoothing his fingers along his wrist where the handcuff sat on. He seemed to force a smile as he looked up at her dressed in uniform.

Makoto had been the youngest commissioner the department had seen in a long time. He was proud of her- _more_ than proud to have watched her rise up the ranks and reach her goals.

"You look beautiful."

She couldn't help but blush at his words. Makoto always went red at the sound of any of his compliments. "Oh shush." She always tried to mask her uneasiness at his flattery by shutting him up.

Despite his efforts to maintain his facade of a calm demeanor. She saw through his lie immediately, sitting down beside him.

"Is there something wrong?"

He knew she'd seen through his game.

"What? I don't know what you mean."

She held his hand with a firm grip, asking him again. "What's wrong, Akira?"

it wasn't the first time they'd been in this situation, but he could never muster the strength to lie to her. Maybe to her sister, but never her.

Unsure of what to say, he spoke the first thing that came to his mind.

"I miss you."

He pressed his lips against her forehead.

"But I know just how much this means to you, and I will _always_ support you. Even if it means you'll have to be away a lot."

She turned and lowered her head at his words. "I-I'm sorry." Tears began to well up in her eyes as her grip became stronger.

"Y-you're right. I've been...selfish, lately, and-"

He placed his hand behind her head and pulled her into a kiss.

Akira let out a sigh after pulling away, cupping her cheek with his hand.

"Don't cry. You'd ruin your makeup. I mean not that'd make you less beautiful but-"

She immediately fastened him into a hug and tucked her face into his nape.

"I love you, Akira."

"I love you too."

Akira eyed the clock on the counter by their bed. "You should leave soon, wouldn't want to be late on your first big day."

Makoto's pulled away and proudly stood before him. She was as beautiful as they day she came barging into his life.

Kissing him one last time on his forehead, they both smiled.

She turned back once more before she exited the doorway of their bedroom, sneaking a glance at her husband and shaking her head as she took one last look at him.

Chuckling as she turned to see him again, he smiled one last time. "Go get 'em tiger."

Nodding her head, she exited the room.

* * *

 **AN: hi hi !**

 **so that was my fluff/oneshot/sad attempt to mend my soul ! feel free to review/fav/follow i guess ! this was a fun little exercise. pls say if you'd like it to continue ! support rlly helps**


	2. Homecoming (2)

**AN** : **thanks to everyone for all the positive feedback ! im sorry about the last one being rlly rushed I was too giggity about it and went all over the place. sorry for the wait!**

 **also, this fic isn't rlly chronological and this event is set prior to the first chapter (wow what a nice save right)**

 **anywyay here it is ! I had loads of fun writing dis. hf reading friends !**

* * *

"You're awfully shy today."

"W-What? You're crazy dude."

Akira eyed his original parter in crime with morbid skepticism. It'd seemed that for the first time ever; Ryuji had been- _quiet_.

Sighing, he sat down the box of popcorn on his lap and shoveled handfuls of the crumpled junk food into his mouth.

Beads of sweat raced down alongside Ryuji's forehead as he struggled to find a comfortable way to sit still, twisting and turning in place. Luckily for Akira, his repeated adjustments later shifted to a more tame foot tap that'd kept a more _rhythmic_ cadence.

Attempting to solicit a response, Akira cleared his throat with a cough and looked to his _date_ for the day and talked the way he'd thought Ryuji would.

"So...uh, it's pretty cold here," Swallowing the lump in his throat, he scratched his head and choked out some small talk.

"Kinda cold here, yeah?"

Ryuji's eyes twitched rapidly as his head turned to meet Akira'a unwavering gaze. Sweat seeped down behind his head and dripped down to his purple hoodie, which'd been practically soaked.

"C- _Cold?!"_

His eye twitched.

"Y-yeah dude! F-F- _Freezing."_

Ryuji's foot had never tapped faster.

Licking his lips as he reached halfway through the box of popcorn, Akira had completely given up on attempting to calm Ryuji down.

Blinking between reality and his third eye while looking to the entrance, he'd realized that only the two of them occupied the entirety of the theater.

"Huh."

Fidgeting in his own sweat, Ryuji swiftly turned to Akira.

" _Huh?!_ Is there something wrong _?!"_

Paying no mind to the bewildered friend beside him, Akira proceeded to speak his mind concerning the state of the theater.

"Mmm...yeah. Entire place is empty. I just thought there'd be more people to watch the Phoenix Rangers remake."

Crunching on what remained of halfway in his popcorn, Akira lazily tossed his snack into the plastic bag under his chair as he pulled out a bag of chips from Ryuji's bag.

The act seemed to have shaken whatever hold had taken him as he yanked the food from Akira's hands and into his arms as if to protect the chips from the cruel, _cruel_ outside world.

"Dude! _What the hell!"_

The fire in Ryuji's eyes quickly died down, however.

Giving the bag of chips one last look- like a _parent parting from a child_ , he subsequently handed it over to Akira for him to eat and lowered his head.

Now Akira knew that something was up.

"Are you _sure_ you're okay?"

Blinking, and lost in utter dejection, Ryuji leaned on his side of his chair and crossed his arms.

"Yeah. I'm _great_."

Akira looked back at Ryuji in the hopes to reply, but the lights abruptly shut down as the curtain that covered the silver screen parted before them.

Instead, he turned back to the movie and groaned as he ripped open his new snack and took a sip from a soda.

" _O_ -kay then."

* * *

Ryuji couldn't stop moving.

"Dude! _Phoenix Rangers_ was _awesome!"_

Pumping his fist in the air, he attempted to emulate the sound of the _Megabird_ but his cracking voice seemed to get in the way. Nonetheless, he continued to ramble on about the movie like an expert.

"I mean like, I totally expected it to be complete garbage like _Godzilla_ , but _damn!_ It was _so_ good."

Ryuji stuffed his hands back in his hoodie and smirked. "I used to watch Phoenix Rangers when I was a kid, y'know."

Akira opened his mouth to talk about the complexity of each character's development, maybe even cite how cinematography impacted the quality of each scene and it's role to convey the symbolism per character.

He was however, quickly shut down.

"And did you _see_ the _size_ of those things _?!"_

Eyes widening, Ryuji made groping motions in the air as Akira responded to him with a quick slap to the back of his head.

"Jeez! C'mon man. You have _gotta_ be kidding me if you don't agree. The dub wasn't half-bad too!"

The two friends paced across Tokyo and took in the sights as they ventured from Shibuya all the way to Shinjuku. They flushed red as they sipped from cocktails in the Crossroads like amateurs and fought to see who could finish the entirety of the Big Bang Burger challenge first.

There interactions had been basically staged to that point, Ryuji had been _suspiciously_ prepared today. Akira hadn't expected him to be so well-prepared with events-even on the day he got back to the big city.

Akira suddenly stopped scratched his head as they neared the entrance of Dome Town, however.

"Really?"

Ryuji turned around, hands in his pockets as he arched his brow and his eyes widened in attention.

"What's up?"

"Didn't you say it was weird for two _dudes_ to go here together?"

As if attempting to dodge the question, Ryuji quickly turned to his phone and hastily pulled it out of his pocket; even nearly dropping it in the process.

" _Woah! Akira!_ It's gettin' _reaaal_ late-"

"It's only six o' clock-"

Ryuji let out a big yawn and stretched as he touched his toes.

"I'm gonna go now! _Phew!_ Am _I_ beat!"

Akira watched as his the brisk walk of his friend slowly transformed into a runner's sprint.

"Catch you _later-_ I mean- _Tomorrow!"_

With nothing left to do, Akira shrugged his shoulders and boarded the train line to Yongen-Jaya. Morgana had ran off back to Leblanc and the rest of the gang probably missed him too.

He missed _her_ the most though, and he was bad at hiding it.

* * *

Akira enjoyed the unlimited Wi-Fi.

Roughly a year had passed since he'd left, and the internet in Inaba had any video calls to Tokyo crashing more often than not.

Slugging his bag over his shoulder, he perched himself by the edge of the train's seat and leaned a metal pole fastened to his chair.

It was _-relaxing,_ to say the least. It'd been a long while since there'd just been normal news about somebody's cat geting stuck in a tree.

Hustle and bustle was never quite his style.

His mind wanders as he spaces dream and reality, of mind and matter.

In thought, he'd dreamt only of Makoto. He had far too little time left with her since his release from prison. She occupied his being more than he'd let on.

He loved her more than he let on.

He was always himself around her. He enjoyed both the silence and the white noise they made in bed. Of stolen kisses behind prying eyes and hands held behind closed doors.

It was good to know she was working hard to clasp the dream she'd dedicated herself to for so long. He only wanted the best for her after all. But to think she wouldn't be here for _his_ arrival- the way he would for her?

 _She can't make it today, right._

Akira's lips purse as he clenches his jaw.

A heaviness fills his eyelids as he drifts off to dream. Maybe he'd see her there.

* * *

 **AN: Wow honestly at this rate I should just label this as a Akira/Ryuji fic.**

 **had lotsa fun planning this out ! I'll release and resolve everything by the next one no worries (or will i) (I probably will because I can't bear the idea of them being away from each other and stuff absjsjsk) (sorry if I ruined the suspense bye)**

 **anehway as usual thankss for reading ! favorite/follow/review to give me some feedback if you want pure happy fluffs or fluff with a vengeance like this one dat spans more than one chapter and makes you feel bad first but makes u reaaal happy after**

 **ba bye !**


	3. Always (3)

**AN: Read previous chapter for context.**

 **Italicized sentences or statements without quotation marks are Akira's thoughts. I didn't want to do this originally but I thought it'd establish some level of depth to our mc after all.**

 **ty for reading!**

* * *

"U- _uhm_ maybe we should go _b-back?"_

Makoto remained tightly fastened to Akira's arm as they neared the entrance of _Destinyland Studios' "Space Planet"_. The couple attracted much attention as they slowly approached the facade of the crashed spaceship, step-by-step. The building's sheer size had covered the sun and enveloped its entrance in shadow.

Akira let out a chuckle as the sight of the elevator came closer to them; the screams of riders echoing throughout the walls of the corridor bounced off his ears.

Suddenly reaching over and nuzzling his nose across Makoto's neck, her blush was accompanied by a prompt push as they paced forward and forward.

" _Akira!"_ She lurched, brows furrowing at his touch. "Not now."

"Would you rather I let go?"

Her eyes blinking rapidly, " _W-What?!"_ Makoto quickly bumbled and gripped his hand harder than he thought she could. " _Don't-_ don't do that!"

He felt the tips of her fingers heat up as their hands remained intertwined in place together. Alarmed, Akira nudged Makoto, his eyebrows raised as he noticed her clenched jaw. "Do you still want to do this?"

Eyes averting his gaze, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Yes."

The two eventually sat down side-by-side as they pulled down the ride's metallic railing to lock the two of them in place. Her grip on him never loosened.

He leaned on her as she closed her eyes, Makoto smiling in an effort to not worry her boyfriend, who'd begun to wonder if she'd really be okay.

" _Stay with me forever, Akira_."

* * *

"Yongen-Jaya. You have arrived at Yongen-Jaya."

The plastic voice woke Akira up. Slowly pushing himself up from his seat, he proceeded to push past the hordes of wayward passengers. This was one other thing he didn't miss from the big city.

Lazily making his way up the metro's staircase, he looked to the sky as droplets of water hit him on the head; it'd begun to rain.

Akira opened up an umbrella and stuffed a hand in his pocket, grumbling, he made his way up the familiar steps and bounced down the same roads he walked down months prior. The skips past cracks and splash of puddles against the fabric of his trousers were habitual at this point, really.

"Home, sweet home."

Familiar signs caught his eye as he walked through the suburban neighborhood. He breathed a sigh of relief to find that all of the tiny shops that occupied the nooks and crannies of his home remained just as he left it.

He couldn't help but smile as he eyed what'd become home for a year.

Pulling the satchel off his shoulder, Akira unzipped his bag and stuck his hand in, rummaging through the mess of books, powerbanks, and crumpled receipts for his key ring.

Noise erupted from inside the café as he picked through his clutter.

"You _idiot!_ You had _one_ job and you _forgot to do it?!_ Pull yourself together!"

"Shut up you stupid little-"

"Who is that?"

"I believe that's him-"

"Shut up, _Inari_!"

" _Shhh!_ He's coming in!"

Finally finding the ring, he'd eventually find the key to Leblanc. Twirling the rusting key between his fingertips, he stuck it through the lock and let out a silent huff as he turned the bolt.

Akira twisted the doorknob of the creaking wooden door slowly, hoping to enjoy the soft, rustic nature of his old home. He'd learnt to appreciate the silence, being in the city for so long.

His _silence_ however, lasted one good second.

A mere moment later, Joker was suddenly bombarded by the laughs of good company and the hugs of his friends as they erupted from various parts of the café. From behind the counter, under the dining tables, the bathroom- it'd seem that the same sneaking skills they'd gained as thieves never really disappeared. They clamored towards him and wrapped him in a group hug that was probably going to choke the life out of him.

"Joker!"

"Akira!"

"Welcome back, Joker."

The backroom door squeaked open as a familiar face peered through and slicked the hair from his scalp all the way back to his nape. Akira's friends made way for the old man as he slithered out from the staff's side of the bar.

Smirk as smug as it'd ever been, Sojiro fought past his growing gut and stuck himself past the counter to greet Akira personally. Extending his hand as they met eye to eye, the chief's eyes softened up as Akira replied with a smile and firmly shook his hand.

"Glad to see you, kid."

Eventually settling down in their usual spots the group all received a cup of coffee with a respective plate of curry, courtesy of the chief, of course.

Joker's coy simper turned into a smile as they laughed and prodded him with questions about Inaba and being back at it with the _country boy_ life. Of course, he would reply with the incredibly expressive "yes", "no's", and "okay's" that populated his vocabulary; but they didn't mind. Akira was home.

Gobbling down spoonfuls of curry bite after bite, Ryuji, mouth still full of curry as it dripped down the edges of his lips, looked to Akira. "So- _omph_ -whatsch'it like being- _momph_ -bach' in the schity? Whatch' did you do bach' home 'ehnyway? I-"

Futaba whipped out a _southern_ accent and donned Sojiro's fedora, much to the latter's dismay. "So, yer' accustomed to the countreh' lifestyle now, are ya'?" She pulled out her sticker-covered phone and pointed it at Akira. "Meet me tomorrow mornin' right as the sun rises in the West, _high noon! Pew! Pew! Pewpewpew!"_

Never the party pooper, Joker played along and feigned death at the hands of Futaba Sakura, who replied by blowing away the imaginary smoke that'd trailed off her "gun" after unloading her entire " _revolver"_ into the poor man.

Nobody else got it, but _everybody_ laughed anyway.

Hitting Ryuji on the back of his head, Anne crossed her arms as she barked at him. "You are literally the _worst_ Ryuji! _I_ could've done better! All you had to do was drop a tracker on his bag so we knew when he'd get here!"

" _Hey_! You shut your mouth! He's here, isn't he? And the only thing you're good at is going nude-"

The supermodel quickly replied to the statement with a slap to his face.

" _Ow_! What the _fu_ -"

Morgana shook his head as he lay on one of the bar stools. "Actually, Lady Ann, I think-"

Yusuke chimed in as he sipped from a cup of coffee. "I must disagree. Anne is quite the actress. She's fooled me on _countless_ occasions."

Futaba stood from her seat and poked Yusuke's cheek. "Anyone could fool you! You're malnourished and you can't even think straight Inari!"

Standing up and placing his finger on Futaba's nose in retaliation, Yusuke pierced Futaba's eyes with a gaze that could cut into her soul. "Even Van Goh was ridiculed during his time period, I believe that-"

Haru fought to catch the attention of the the group, she'd been jumping and raising her hand for the past minute, when it was clear that Yusuke and Futaba weren't gonna stop until blood was drawn, she finally retorted to a scream.

"Everyone wait! I just got a message from Mako-Chan!"

The single sentence from Haru had silenced the entire café.

Her eyes seemed to slowly drop as her lips curled into a frown. "No..."

"...Mako-chan says she can't make it. She's really sorry."

While entirety of the café seemed to remain in low spirits, Akira forced a smile as he raised up a glass. "Makoto wouldn't want us to be like this! C'mon!" Mustering false enthusiasm, he closed his eyes and thought of her.

 _This seems like something you'd do._

Yusuke raised his cup of coffee in stoical fancy as he puffed his chest and arched his back. "Indeed! We mustn't falter in the face of adversity!"

"A toast! To the Phantom Thieves reunited and the return of our leader!"

Lifting their coffee cups in reply, the entirety of the thieves stood and shouted their own blessings to the sky.

Ryuji slammed his fist to the café's dining table. "Damn right! _To the Phantom Thieves!"_

Morgana stood proudly on his barstool. " _To the Phantom Thieves!"_

Chugging down whatever they had, the group of friends laughed and toasted to a new chapter of their lives. Ryuji had spat out the contents of his cold coffee cup as fast as he'd chugged it down, but the group laughing at him in unison mattered more anyway.

In the mess of chuckles and hazy confusion, Sojiro opened the café's backroom door as Haru, Anne, and Futaba carefully slipped inside.

* * *

 _Ryuji, Morgana, AND Yusuke getting along? It must be the end of the world._

Watching in awe as earth-shattering events transpired before him, Akira could only observe in shock as the three friends bonded over a mutual love of the last thing he'd expect.

"Yes! I had originally thought it to be gaudy at best, but its eventual design piqued my interest."

" _Right?_ The _Megabird_ was friggin' _epic_!"

"I miss the original _Phoenix Rangers_ now though! The original _Pink Argus_ is a splitting-image of Lady Ann!"

Akira smiled as he shook his head and took a sip from his cup. _Someone_ had been watching the classic tv series while he'd been at school.

Futaba bursted through the backroom door, eyes wide and hands clutching the countertop. "You guys have been talking about _Phoenix Rangers-"_ She clasped her chest in a pain. "Without _me?!"_

Haru erupted from the backroom in quick pursuit, pulling the dazed teenager back inside and cupping her mouth with her hands. " _Futaba-chan!"_ Head peeking through the door, the senior quickly bowed.

"I apologize for Futaba-Chan! U- _uhm..._ b- _bye!"_

Standing from his seat and sweeping his pants. Joker turned to the backroom to see a _very_ red Sojiro Sakura; his cheeks washed with color. Akira looked to Ryuji, who'd kept his back turned from the scene.

Eyebrows shifting downward, Akira blinked between his third eye as he scanned the scene. "What're you guys planning?"

Ryuji scratched his head as he whirled backwards at breakneck speed to face his questioning friend; whose eyes raced across the room as he remained in thought. "W- _whaddaya_ mean bro?"

Joker knew that there had to be something coming up. Ryuji was much calmer, sure, but it wasn't a far cry from the the sheer timidity that bled from him the morning he'd met his best friend. "Everyone's been acting up since I got here. What's going on-"

The backroom door suddenly busted open a second time.

The opening was left in near smithereens as the strength of whatever had kicked it caused the door to bang repeatedly against wall it was latched to. Rushing out of the door was Futaba, her face scarlet red as perspiration gathered on her forehead.

The orange-haired teenager speedily climbed onto the countertop as Sojiro watched in horror while she stomped her boots on the varnished mahogany. Back arched and hands on her waist, she stood more composed than ever before.

Yusuke took a sip, sat back down, and put one leg over the other.

"It'd seem that our analyst is hyper from the caffeine."

Sojiro attempted to reach to the young girl, but feared that one wrong move would cause her to lose balance and fall over.

Sweeping his arm, Sojiro raised his voice in an attempt to reprimand the teen and convince her to get off the counter, " _Futaba!_ Get _down_ from there-" but his pleas fell on deaf ears.

" _Can it_ _Sojiro_!

Getting down one one knee she pointed to Akira, who'd been utterly stunned in place when he realized what was happening.

"We've got one _last surprise_ for you Joker! Did you really think we wouldn't notice?"

Everyone in the café begun to clap their hands and sing to the tune of " _Happy Birthday"_ as the three figures emerged from the backroom. The pouring rain couldn't overpower their spirit as a sense of vigor rejuvenated the party as it came full circle.

The cake was decorated simply with basic shades of red and black, but it came assorted with three tiers and sat ceremoniously on a polished platter. There was a genuine sense of charm that accompanied it was topped off with a white rose.

On the left of the cake was Anne, grinning as she huddled with the cake across from Haru, who stood on the left as she cheered the song along with the rest of the party. The final figure in between the both of them, obscured by the cake.

Futaba quickly fell backwards into Sojiro, who's knees produced the sound of a sharp crack accompanied by a curse that left his lips while he caught her. The crowd seemed to stop for a second until she raised up her thumb in triumph of her little event on the bartop.

"...Happy birthday, Akira."

* * *

She came out slowly, her face peeked out from the side of the enormous cake as her smile eclipsed the room's atmosphere; walking slowly past the counter as she came face to face with him.

Her cheeks had bleached a red that matched her eyes as every gaze in the room was on her. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot in order to impose a presence. It could've silenced the others, but he wasn't fazed.

Makoto bit her lip as she caught his stare. "I wasn't sure what you wanted...so I made this. I-I...wasn't sure if you'd like it. But...I've been practicing the whole month and-"

Akira broke his calm exterior as he reached and kept her close. She hugged him back as she squeezed her eyes together, as if it'd cause this moment to remain forever. Akira dug his fingers into her as he felt the beat of her heart race and come to slow.

They were alone in this moment.

* * *

It was perfect.

Well, _almost_ perfect.

Ryuji scratched his head as he watched the couple. " _Woah_...Akira hooked up with miss prez'?"

The two quickly pulled away almost as quickly as they hugged at the sound of Ryuji's voice, both blushing.

Another slap that caught his cheek for the second time this rainy evening, Anne stomped her foot and scratched her head in exasperation. "Goddammit Ryuji! They were having a moment!"

Rubbing the side of his face that'd received the destructive attack as it grew numb. "It wasn't even that loud! They probs' just thought it was gettin' awkward!"

As the two began to bicker on and on, Akira looked to Makoto, who laughed and shook her head. They were together again, all of them, this time.

Both of them grabbing a slice of the cake, the two of them sat near the back of the café.

He smiled as he eyed her up and down. Her hair had clearly grown as she had to now clearly tie it in a ponytail. Blinking as she saw him clearly looking at her, which caused her to blush, she hid her face and looked away. "Is there something wrong?"

Akira held her hand. "Nope. Nothing at all."

Joker looked to the rest of their small little family of sorts. Yusuke and Morgana, now joined by a lethargic Futaba continued on about the Rangers. Anne and Ryuji were close to throwing chairs at each other, as Haru attempted to calm the two. Sojiro sat at the back quietly; exhausted as he eyed the broken door.

"I thought nobody knew. I told you, and boss knew for sure but-"

Makoto quickly cut him off and raised her hand in dispute. "Did you really think I wouldn't tell the rest of the group? Everyone missed you, Akira."

He couldn't help but grin. "How long have you been planning this?

Her head leaned to one side as she recalled the past month. "It's been a plan in motion for about a month, give or take. We went through a lot of ideas, Dome Town, maybe Futaba hacking the airwaves again...but, we thought you'd like something at home."

She took a bite of the cake, her eyes seemed- surprised. It was better than she expected it to be, not that her standards were high in the first place.

"It worked out more or less. Ryuji didn't mess up too bad, to his credit. He completely forgot to place the tracker in your bag, but Futaba saved it at the end. Haru and Anne helped lay down the finishing touches. The white rose was Haru's idea and you can thank Anne for the cake's flavor."

He took a bite and was shocked at the quality of his birthday cake, it was better than any of the desert he tried at the buffet. "Who should I thank for the cake though?" He smirked, knowing the answer.

She scratched her head, but didn't blush as he expected. "It's all been a group effort. We wanted to make it special for you, you brought us all together, after all."

He twirled the ends of his hair. "Thanks."

"You're welcome, but it really wasn't all me."

The two were suddenly interrupted by a knock on their table. Sojiro hadn't been one to butt in on dates, but it'd been a long day and he was eager to make an exception. He stood above the two of them to their side. Akira could've sworn another gray streak sprouted from his hairline.

"Close up, okay? And uh..."

The old man scratched his head. "Happy Birthday."

Sojiro quickly pulled back, however. "Don't get any ideas though. Don't forget to wash the dishes. It's a Wednesday tomorrow and you made a mess." Joker nodded in reply. With no words needing to be exchanged, the boss left the café in Akira's hands; familiar wind chimes ringing as he made his exit.

They continued to go on about their lives the past year, with caffeine coursing through them, what'd seemed like minutes had actually went on for hours. The rest of the thieves kept chatting on and on as one by one, they slowly relented to fatigue. Futaba was the first to fall, succeeded by Ryuji and so on. The thieves had fallen asleep on the chairs and the entire café was a complete mess. Doors swung loosely and the plates were covered with cake.

The couple cleaned what needed to be cleaned and washed whatever needed to be washed. It was a silent synergy; nearly romantic if they weren't just washing dishes. When they'd finished, the entirety of the room was spotless. Not a crumb of cake was visible and the state of it was brand-new in quality.

"What'll you say when he finds everyone passed out?"

"I'll cross that road when I get there."

Exhausted, the two climbed up the attic stairs to enter Joker's room. Akira's room was just how he left it. Stickers of stars populated the beams of his ceiling as stuffed toys sat on his bookshelf, newly washed, courtesy of Kawakami, no doubt. Makoto's huge gift sat on his bed and his tv table remained filled with video game classics and DVD's of Japanese Soap Opera.

Sitting down on his couch by a Phantom Thieves poster, the two of them sank into their spots. Her head dropped onto his shoulder after some short silence.

"I've missed...this."

Taking his hand, she smiled as she rubbed her fingers along the tip of his thumb.

"I love you."

She gripped his hand harder when she felt his own falter.

"I used to be unsure if I meant it but...being here? Now? With you again?" Makoto's voice broke.

"I love you, Akira Kurusu."

A huff left his nose as he remained in their shared warmth.

"I love you too, Makoto Nijima."

Closing her eyes, she adjusted her head on his shoulder and rested by the base of his neck. Noticing her eyes closing, he did so as well. Their heartbeats slowing as they drifted into a much-needed rest.

" _Stay with me forever, Akira_."

He rested his head on hers.

" _Always_."

* * *

 **AN: welp, that's this chapter. Make of it what you will. I'm sorry for the drop in quality as it neared the end, I couldn't really wrap by head around a solid ending as to how I wanted it so it was pretty rushed and abrupt. I'll try to fix it into latter chapters if I ever finish it up.**

 **TL:DR ending pretty rushed I'll try to fix my life next time if I'm willing**

 **anyway if you made it this far, thanks for reading ! as always, review, fav, and follow! Support helps in more ways than one and I'm always looking to improve.**

 **see ya!**


	4. AUTHOR'S NOTE (Important!)(ish)

**Hi!**

 **I will unfortunately be unable to update soon due to a diversion of my attention to a story that I've had in the works for quite a while now. It shouldn't be a long time though! Once I finish up said story's first chapter I'll be sure to update this once I get the ball rolling. Sorry for any inconvenience!**

 **stay tuned!**

 **-BananaTrashcan**


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